Fellow parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and visitors,

Greetings from Bukoba, Tanzania! After a well-deserved vacation in my home country, I am glad to be back to continue our joint efforts in building the kingdom of God at this beautiful parish. I am particularly grateful to our beloved Associate Pastor, Rev. Fr. Samuel Aliba, the parish staff, volunteers, and each individual parishioner for keeping our parish thriving during my absence.

As I resume my ministry here at Blessed Sacrament, I would like us to reflect on the importance and significance of having a large church bell at our parish. Bells have played a vital role in the Catholic Church for centuries, serving both practical and symbolic purposes. The Church traditionally uses two types of bells: Campanula and Campana.

Campanula refers to the small handbell or altar bells rung during Mass. Specifically, the campanula is rung during the epiclesis (when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit over the bread and wine), at the elevation of the consecrated Host, and at the elevation of the consecrated Chalice. A distinctive tradition occurs during the Easter Triduum, when the campanulae are rung during the Gloria on Holy Thursday. They then remain silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil, symbolizing the Church's mourning during Christ's Passion. In some places, wooden clappers replace bells during this period. Essentially, the campanulae are used during liturgy to draw the congregation's attention to the central moments of the Mass. However, their use is optional under current liturgical norms and depends on local practice.

In contrast, the Campana, or large church bell, located in the bell tower, is commonly used to call the faithful to worship or to mark the hours of prayer such as the Angelus (or Regina Coeli during the Easter season) at 6:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 6:00 PM. These bells are often rung joyfully on major celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, parish feast days, ordinations, and weddings. They express the Church's joy and invite the wider community to partake in the celebration.

It is a tradition in the Catholic Church to ring the Campana before Mass to announce the impending start of the liturgy and to invite people to gather for prayer. Before modern clocks and communication methods, this was one of the primary functions of large church bells. In the remote areas of my home diocese of Bukoba, Tanzania, parishes that cannot afford to purchase large church bells use large drums, traditionally known as Omubara, as an alternative. The drumbeats that sound at specific times on Sunday serve as an invitation for the faithful to gather at the parish for Sunday liturgy.

While many of these customs are longstanding, the specific times, patterns, and frequencies of bell ringing vary by country, diocese, and parish tradition. Canon 1169 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law explicitly stated that, "It is desirable that every church have bells to summon the faithful to divine worship." Although this provision was not included in the 1983 Code, many of the same principles continue through liturgical laws and ecclesiastical practices rather than through explicit canons.

While we have been using the campanula for liturgical purposes at our parish, we have missed out on the use of a large church bell (campana) for the past few years. The motor that automatically operates this bell and provides the force needed to swing the clapper is out of order. Efforts to repair the damaged equipment have been unsuccessful, which means we need to purchase a new unit.

After extensive consultation and research, we found the Verdin Company (verdin.com), known for providing reliable services in this area. The type of bell that we believe would best meet our needs is the Virtuoso Model, equipped with various liturgical bell sounds, seasonal bell music, tower clock capabilities, and cast bell control features. It also includes a Virtuoso Carillon Controller, a 300-watt JBL amplifier, four CJ-46 speaker horns, and an 8-function wireless remote control. The total cost for this project is $20,000.00, including shipping and customer installation.

I sincerely appeal to each of you to consider contributing generously to this cause. Together, we have accomplished a great deal during the past fiscal year, and this gives me confidence that we can achieve even more. I truly believe that, if realized, this project will add to the vibrancy of our parish.

I look forward to your generous response.

In God's service and yours.

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